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Watch YouTube video
of Janet Kuypers reading her poem The Truth and Liars (on the anniversary of the day of her accident leading to this poem) 7/14/14 at the “Poetry Love Letters” open mic (C)
video videonot yet rated
Watch YouTube video
of Janet Kuypers reading her poem The Truth and Liars (on the anniversary of the day of her accident leading to this poem) 7/14/14 at the “Poetry Love Letters” open mic (S)
video videonot yet rated
Watch YouTube video
of Janet Kuypers reading 3 recovery poems (INCLUDING THIS POEM) on the anniversary of the day of her near-fatal car accident on 7/14/14 at the “Poetry Love Letters” open mic (C)
video videonot yet rated
Watch YouTube video
of Janet Kuypers reading 3 recovery poems (INCLUDING THIS POEM) on the anniversary of the day of her near-fatal car accident on 7/14/14 at the “Poetry Love Letters” open mic (S)
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video 6/11/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “The Truth and Liars”, “Our Couple In Love” and “only choice is to build” at Georgetown’s “Poetry Aloud” open mic (from a Lumix camera).
video videonot yet rated

See YouTube video 6/11/17 of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “The Truth and Liars”, “Our Couple In Love” and “only choice is to build” at Georgetown’s “Poetry Aloud” open mic (from a Sony camera).

The Truth and Liars

September 2, 1998

I have been told so few
truths in my life, and as
more time progresses I trust
the average person less and less.

Forgive me, but some things
just call for straight-out
honesty. Seldom do I get the
chance to voice my opinion, or

speak out in opposition, or even
have my own voice.

I’ve let myself out of one hospital,
and want to get out of a second
one, by liars and people who
try to deceive for a living. Believe
me, I’ve seen it so many times,

that sometimes it just gets more
simple to tell apart the liars
from the people who tell truths.

The truth-tellers are very, very
difficult to find in this day
and age. When you give a
little power to a liar you’ll be
faced with a lifetime of fighting

and failures. Well, when
you’re a person faced with
liars, well let’s just say that
the battle to win is almost impossible.

For a good part of my life I’ve
dealt with liars. Or should I
say, I think that all of my life,

when I’ve been aware of what
people are capable of, well, let’s
just say that as long as I can
remember, well, let’s just say
that I have never been a better
part of a liar’s life.

No one seems to know how to
earn real trust. It’s a
difficult job to do with me.
People often fail, if they ever
tried.

I suppose that an average
person who tried to earn my
trust would probably not succeed

at it. coming from someone who
knows the truth, someone who
thinks, let me say it for myself.

I’ve lived through good news
and bad news. I’ve been through
young people’s deaths, old
people’s deaths. I’ve seen

people in constant pain. I’ve
seen no real attempts done
by anyone to help me - ever. I
have seen - and lived through - both
happiness and sadness. I have
succeeded at the things I have
tried. I have won when I
have had to. I’m a ruthless

winner. That comes with what
I know.

I have cried for so many people
that I can’t even tell you. I
wonder if that many tears have
been shed over me.

I wonder if anyone, any -
where, has felt anything about me.

This year I was hit by a few
cars. I was driving my car.
My car is now useless, after the
accident. I was in a coma,
unconscious for 1 to 2 weeks.

I don’t remember the accident.

This is the story from what others
have told me, since my recovery.

Right now I hear the chatter of 2
waitresses at the front of this
office. I still have to hear them.
I know the world deserves
more than mindless chatter.
Someone on this planet

has to deserve it. I have
to deserve it. I’ve already
taught myself how to stop
arguing, how to stop being
unpleasant, how to stop
making waves. If you can
fit in with those simple rules,
if you want, you can be

forgotten as soon as you’re dead.

Sometimes it’s not easy to just
give people what they want.
Usually you have to sell
yourself and your beliefs short.
Get ready for it. It will
happen in time. Brace yourself.


Copyright Janet Kuypers.
All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.